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The best of the Computex Design and Innovation awards 2015 (pictures)

Every year, Taiwan's Computex trade show honours the best in consumer technology innovation and design with its D&I Awards. Here's our favourites from the winning designs.

Michelle Starr
Michelle Starr is CNET's science editor, and she hopes to get you as enthralled with the wonders of the universe as she is. When she's not daydreaming about flying through space, she's daydreaming about bats.
Michelle Starr
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1 of 17 Dell

Gold: Alienware Area 51

The Alienware Area 51 PC gaming system's Triad chassis isn't just a pretty face -- although it certainly is that. It's got a lot of power packed inside, which makes the unit pretty heavy to move. Those angled faces make it easy to access the rear input/output without having to drag the unit out from the wall.

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2 of 17 Dell

Gold: Dell XPS 13

Dell's XPS 13 is the smallest laptop with a 13-inch screen in the world, and it's deemed to have the best performance of that size.

The enclosure size is comparable to that of an 11-inch laptop, and the screen bezel comes in at just 5.2 millimetres. It's also clad in machined aluminium with a carbon fibre palm rest for strength and rigidity.

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3 of 17 Top Victory Electronics Co

Gold: AOC LX series curved TV

This curved TV is sleek and minimal, with no distracting elements in the frame to detract from the entertainment experience. The sound bar at the bottom curves with the screen, and its chrome-finish frame ends in a pair of elegant feet.

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4 of 17 Top Victory Electronics Co

Gold: Digital Signage X

Designed for the small specialty shop, Digital Signage X is a small, 27-inch display inspired by the ring-toss game. A central pillar supports multiple configurations, from one display to a ring of screens, on arms that bend at different angles to support larger configurations. The screens can be pivoted to portrait or landscape, and all cables are hidden in the central support pillar.

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5 of 17 Chuango Shenzhen R&D Center

Gold: Smanos K1 SmartHome DIY Kit

This stylish smart home gateway by Smanos connects up to 50 wireless accessories, such as smart locks and surveillance cameras, in a sturdy aluminium and plastic disc. Its operation is designed to be intuitive -- touching, listening to or visually interacting with the gateway will enable users to check if connected devices are operating correctly.

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6 of 17 Dell

Dell UltraSharp 34

The 34-inch curved Dell UltraSharp 34 monitor boasts panoramic clarity, featuring a quad HD 3,440 x 1,440 resolution over a 21:9 aspect ratio. It's designed for gamers and professional applications, aiming for an immersive viewing experience and minimising visual distraction.

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7 of 17 Prologium Technology Co

Solid-state Battery-PLCB

This Lithium Ceramic Battery is the thinnest in the world at 1.9 millimetres, and pledges to be ultra-safe, with no leaking, no fires and no explosions, even when penetrated, hit or punched.

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8 of 17 Avexir

Raiden series SDRAM

Avexir's DDR3 SDRAM Raiden series gaming memory modules are designed to be the sleekest on the market, breaking the 0.85-centimetre space limitation without compromising performance. They also look wicked: the top of the module is fitted with a plasma tube that flickers and glows with a lightning effect.

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9 of 17 ASUSTek

Asus Gaming Notebook G751

ASUS' Republic of Gaming G751 is sleek and streamlined, retaining its F-22 Raptor fighter jet-inspired design elements. This time, though, the laptop is finished with aluminium and an illuminated ROG logo. There's also the dual rear vents, which both add to the visual appeal and help keep the machine cool.

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10 of 17 Unitech electronics

TB120

The TB120 7-inch tablet is great, mainly because of the physical keypad.

It has a rather charmingly quaint feel, but it's actually designed to withstand rough conditions. It's fitted with a Gorilla Glass display, and is totally protected against dust and low pressure jets of water from any direction. It also has a drop threshold of 1.2 metres, making it suitably durable for workplace applications.

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11 of 17 ASUSTek

Asus Transformer Book T300 Chi

Hybrid tablet-PCs can be a little finicky, and, as CNET's Dan Ackerman discovered, Asus' Transformer Book T300 Chi is no exception. That said, for its category, its design is pretty slick. It's thin and light, and one of the best-looking hybrids in its price range.

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12 of 17 Senao Networks

EnGenius EnStation

The EnGenius EnStation is a wireless access point that can be mounted pretty much anywhere thanks to a three-axis installer. Its directional antenna is embedded in a satellite-style dish for maximum coverage -- it's designed for large-scale applications, such as a campus venue, and delivers stable coverage over distances of up to four miles (6.4 kilometres).

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13 of 17 Silicon Power

Touch T50 and Jewel J50

The USB 2.0 Touch T50 and the USB 3.0 Jewel J50 are tiny flash drives cased in zinc alloy for extra toughness, with a carved hollow top that allows the drive to be linked to a key ring or pendant. It's also strong. According to manufacturer Silicon Power, the loop can bear up to 10 kilograms (22lb).

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14 of 17 Serafim

Odin Aurora

The Kickstarter-funded Odin Aurora laser projection mouse claims to be inspired by the Norse god, although it looks a lot like a cross between the Autobot and Decepticon logos. Whatever inspired its design, it's an interesting idea -- taking the laser-projected keyboard one step further into mouse-ville.

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15 of 17 HTC

HTC Re

HTC's Re is a periscope-like camera that connects to an Android or iOS smartphone via an app. It's compact enough to fit in a bag or purse and can be used one-handed easily, with a button on the back that can be easily reached with a thumb. It communicates with the phone app in real-time, enabling you to view and save your photos on your phone.

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16 of 17 ASWY Electronics

Air Speaker

I don't know how it sounds, which is the most important part, but ASWY Electronics' Air Speaker sure looks pretty great. It uses magnetic levitation to float the speaker over the base. The speaker can also be uncoupled from the base, and it contains a powerful magnet and Bluetooth connectivity, so it can be attached to a metal object for portability.

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17 of 17 TGI Technology

UB+ Eupho

This portable Bluetooth speaker is a pretty stylish piece just on its own, but where the UB+ Eupho shines is in its accessories. You can daisy-chain two or more together for a richer sound. The Stereo, which fits two Eupho units, lets you create a stereo system. Likewise, the Brave turns six Eupho units into a soundbar.

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